Leviticus 20:25

You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Israel through Moses, commanding them to distinguish between clean and unclean animals, birds, and ground creatures immediately after promising them the promised land and defining their separation from other nations.

The words — וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּם (ve./hiv.dal.Tem) means "and you will separate," paired with בֵּין (bein-) for "between," establishing a mandatory division between pure and unclean creatures.

The thread — This command extends the dietary framework introduced in Leviticus 11:1 and echoes Deuteronomy 14:3’s prohibition against eating detestable things, while the New Testament later recontextualizes the clean/unclean distinction in Acts 10:11.

Why it lands — The text demands practical separation from unclean creatures as a direct response to God’s prior declaration of setting Israel apart, requiring readers to apply the stated boundary without adding external rules.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞םve./hiv.dal.Temand/ you will separate בֵּֽין־bein-between הַבְּהֵמָ֤הha./be.he.Mahthe/ animal[s]הַטְּהֹרָה֙ha./te.ho.Rah<the>/ pure לַטְּמֵאָ֔הla./te.me.'Ahand <the>/ unclean וּבֵין־u./vein-and/ between הָע֥וֹףha./'ofthe/ bird[s]הַטָּמֵ֖אha./ta.Me'<the>/ unclean לַטָּהֹ֑רla./ta.Horand <the>/ pure וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּte.sha.ke.Tzuyou will make detestable אֶת־'et-<obj.>נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜םnaf.sho.tei./Khemselves/ your בַּבְּהֵמָ֣הba./be.he.Mahby <the>/ animal[s]וּבָע֗וֹףu./va./'ofand/ by <the>/ bird[s]וּבְכֹל֙u./ve./Kholand/ by/ all אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat תִּרְמֹ֣שׂtir.Mosit creeps הָֽאֲדָמָ֔הha./'a.da.Mahthe/ ground אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּיhiv.Dal.tiI have separatedלָכֶ֖םla./Khemfor <the>/ youלְטַמֵּֽא׃le./ta.Me'to/ declare unclean

King James Version

Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

Cross-references

Leviticus 11:1 The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them,
Deuteronomy 14:3 You must not eat any detestable thing.
Acts 10:11 He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
Acts 10:28 He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.